It is safe to say that one cannot visit
Ireland too many times as on my second trip I was just as deeply taken by the
beauty of the
landscape, as well as the
wonderful,
joyous, fun-lovingspirit of the
Irish people. This
two-part feature is a sketch of the tour organized by
TourismIreland for a group of intrepid
travel writers to share with our vacation-bound readers.
Part 1 will cover
daysone-three and
Part 2 will cover
days four-six. I hope you
enjoy coming along for this
incredible ride, one that you might consider taking for yourself.

DAY 1:

After a comfortable flight on
Aer Lingus, several of us were met at the
Dublin Airport and were whisked away to the
MerrionHotel, the only hotel to win the
Gold Medal Award for Excellence twice. It is located in
Dublin’s City Centre, with a vast selection of
restaurants,
pubs, and
museums within waking distance, including the pedestrian-friendly
Grafton Street, a shopper’s paradise, and
Stephen's Green Shopping Centre.http://www.stephensgreen.com/

Welcoming lobby of Merrion Hotel

The hotel staff was
friendly and made our brief stay very
comfortable. The
rooms are
spacious, bright, and tastefully decorated and exquisite
artwork is on display throughout the hotel. Oh yes, for those of you who have had difficulty getting the “
this side up” slide room keys to always work, the
Merrion offers
magnetic,
non-slidekeys that you simply touch to the lock and presto…the door opens.
www.merrionhotel.com

With several
castles on our itinerary, this would be a good time to say a few words about them. It is estimated that there are over
4,000castles in
Ireland, ranging from
ruins and
castle towers to the
regal castles of
Irishchieftains and the very
lavish castle hotels such as the elegant
Adair Manor or
Ashford Castle.
Filled with
fascinatinghistory, according to
legends, many of the castles come complete with a
resident ghost or two. It should be noted that originally
Irish castles were designed primarily for
defense purposes and tended to be less ostentatious than their
British counterparts. Generally the
architecture in
Ireland is a mix of
Victorian,
Georgian, and
Medieval styles.

Dublin Castle:

Following a light
lunch of
tea sandwiches of smoked salmon and cream cheese or turkey and pesto served with
delicious coffee, our charming
guide extraordinaire Will Collins, who
beguiled us with
facts and
fiction and amazing
folklore throughout the trip, scooped us up for a visit to
Dublin Castle, which was originally built in the
13th century on a site settled by
Vikings. The castle functioned as a
militaryfortress, prison, treasury, courts of law, and the
seat of
Englishcolonial rule in
Ireland for
700 years until
1922, when it was handed over to the
new Irish State. It is interesting to note that
Dublin got its
name from the
Black Pool harbor, or
Dubhlinn, which occupied the site of the present castle gardens.

Dublin Castle Upper Yard

The castle has been transformed into a
place of
national prestige and hosts
State functions, including
presidential inaugurations. The meticulously preserved
historic rooms, a fascinating look at the
opulent days of yesteryear, include
The ThroneRoom,
James Connolly Room, the
King and Queen’sBedrooms (separate,)
The Drawing Room, and
St. Patrick’s Hall.

Each room, like this Drawing Room, is exquisitely appointed with ornate furniture, Waterford Crystal chandeliers, and famous paintings

Hugh Lane Gallery:

A short jaunt from
Dublin Castle, the gallery was started by
Hugh Lane as
Dublin’s Municipal Gallery of Modern Art and for his
"services to art" in Ireland, was
knightedin June 1909 at the young
age of 33. He became one of the
foremost collectors and dealers of
Impressionist paintings in
Europe, obtaining such works as
LaMusique aux Tuileriesby Manet,Sur la Plage by Degas,
Les Parapluies by
Renoirand
La Cheminée by Vuillard. We had a fascinating
private tour and our guide took great
delight in revealing
insider gossip on how the museum acquired many of its paintings that, “sometimes bordered on
guile and
trickery.”

Dinner was scheduled for 7:00 pm and our very hungry group headed over to
Bleu Bistro Moderne, owned by restaurateur and
award-winning chef,Eamonn O’Reilly. This airy,
bistro-style restaurant, located in
Joshua House on
Dawson Street, has floor-to-ceiling windows, comfortable dark brown leather banquettes, and wooden furniture.

The menu is comprised of
European dishes with an
Irish twist and includes such delectable selections as
Fermanagh Free Range Chicken with
Mushroom Risotto, and
Red Wine Reduction, and
Beef Bourguignon Pie, housed in
Crisp Puff Pastry, with
Creamed Potatoes and Glazed Carrots. For a
starter, I tried the mouth-watering
Warm Roast Aubergine and
Goat Cheese,
Tomato Fondue with Pesto and for
dessert, the sinful
Apple Crème Brulee, but the
Lemon Rice Pudding with
Blueberry Sorbet and
Biscotti would also be a
yummy choice
.www.bleu.ie

Warm Roast Aubergine and Goat Cheese, Tomato Fondue with Pesto

It was a long day and after our delightful dinner, we headed back to the
Merrion Hotel for our first night’s sleep in
Dublin. www.merrionhotel.com

DAY 2:

Malahide Castle:

Malahide Castle, one of the oldest and most historic castles in Ireland

Set in the lovely
seaside town of
Malahide, on 250 acres of lush parkland,
Malahide Castle is one of the
oldest and most
historic castles in
Ireland. Owned by the
Talbot family for almost
800 years, the home is furnished with authentic
period furniture, complimented by a large collection of
Irish portrait paintings. If you’re lucky, you might get a glimpse of
Puck, said to be the resident, but
elusive ghost.
www.malahidecastle.ie

The contours of Malahide's lush grounds have not been altered very much for the last 800 years and are peaceful and perfect for strolling

Newgrange:

Our next stop was the famous
Newgrange Megalithic Passage Tomb, the most famous of the three great
Irish passage tombs of the
Bru NaBoinne complex. Built around
5,000 years ago by
Neolithic farming communities to house the
remains of the
dead,

modern research suggests that
Newgrange is probably the
oldest known
astronomically aligned structure in the world, predating
Stonehenge in
England and the
Pyramids of Giza in
Egypt. It is estimated that it would have taken a work force of
300 people
30 years to complete construction. It is likely that this was a place of astrological, spiritual, religious, and
ceremonial importance and according to
Irish mythology, it was the home of
Oenghus, the
God of
Love.

Newgrange predates Stonehenge in England and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt -COURTESY PHOTO Knowth.com

The most famous aspect of this site is that at
dawn on the
Winter Solstice, a
shaft of
sunlight enters the chamber through an opening in the
roof-box and the
beambroadens as it moves down the passageway. This remarkable event lasts for about
17 minutes on the
Winter Solstice, as well a few mornings before and after. This site is a definite must-see.
www.heritageireland.com

The Castle At Castle Leslie Estate:

Castle Leslie has home to the Leslie clan since the 1660s

By the time we arrived at
Castle Leslie, a bit of relaxation was in order. I was treated to a
Victorian Back Massage in the
OrganicVictorian Spa, followed by a steam in a
Victorian Steam Box. Shaped like a
vertical coffin, the panels on either side enclose your body and only your head sticks out, allowing the rest of you to be bathed in a gentle stream of
soothing steam. Ah yes.

This way to the spa

Following our
pampering, we were given a pre-dinner special
guided tour of the castle by
Sir John Norman Ide "Jack" Leslie, 4th Baronet, also known as
Uncle Jack. Tall and stately,
Uncle Jack looks like he’s straight out of
central casting and clearly enjoys sharing the history of his home in which his
ancestors have
lived since the
1660s.

This
94-year-old gentleman moves
quickly and
gracefully up and down the stairs and in and out of the various rooms, never missing a beat in his story telling about the castle’s history and some of its
famous visitors, which included
Winston Churchill, Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithful, the
Duke of Wellington, the
Roosevelts, Wallis Simpson, and was the site of
Sir Paul McCartney’s ill-fated marriage to HeatherMills.

Sir Winston Churchill's christening robe is on display in the castle

Perhaps one of the things that keeps
Sir John young and engaged is the local
night life and he can frequently be seen
enjoying himself at the
Squealing Pig pub or
disco dancing at
The Forum.

Only
80 minutes from
Dublin,
Castle Leslie is one the last bastions of
family-run castle hotels in Ireland. Nestled on
1,000 acres of rolling,
lush countryside, dotted with
rural
woods and
lakes, the setting is perfect for an afternoon or evening
stroll through
beautifulgardens and
wandering paths and do stop and sit in one of the
gazebos for a few moments of
peaceful bliss.

Timeout for a tranquil stop at one of the property's gazebos

Following our delightful visit with
Uncle Jack, dinner was served in
Snaffles Brasserie located in the
Hunting Lodge. The food is
classic Irish cooking based on the
Leslie clan’s r
ecipes dating back centuries. Fresh ingredients are sourced daily and by the way, the
fresh-baked breads, scones and homemade
preserves are
simply divine.
www.castleleslie.ie

DAY 3:

Ulster American Folk Park:

The Ulster American Folk Park, in
Castletown, just outside
Omagh, in
County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, is a sprawling
outdoor living museum comprised of around 29
restored original cottages, each depicting the
life and
times of the
immigrantswho
emigrated from
Ulster to
America in the
18th and
19th centuries in search of a better life. The
sparse furnishings in each of the cabins, from the lamps to the chairs to the occasional bric-a-brac, reveal how
difficult life was.

A blacksmith's forge of the 19th century, one of the restored original cottages

The period
costumed re-enactor in each cottage
demonstrates how
daily tasks were executed, such as
bread making, cooking, arts and crafts, embroidery,
forging,spinning, and
printing and shared
“personal” tales about their lives.

One particularly
interesting demonstration was in the
candle-lit Weaver’sCottage, one of the few that had glass
windowpanes, a sign of
wealth in those days. A young
woman sat at the
spinning wheel and told stories of how she learned to sew as a child and that women produced the yarn and the men were the weavers. As she turned the wheel, she
sang an
Irish folk song about the monotony of life and told of the
origin of the word
“spinster,” which came from
unmarried women who filled their time
spinning. She showed us
miniature replicas of adult clothing and talked about the natural
dyes derived from a moss-like plant called
“lichen.
”

With peat burning in the fireplace, a costumed re-enactor talks about the origin of the word “spinster” which came from unmarried women who filled their time spinning

Perhaps the most
visceralexperience was walking through the
life-size r
eplica of an
emigrant tall ship that has re-created the
harsh livingconditions that had to be endured for up to the
twelve weeks it could take to reach
America. Rows of
wooden bunks housed up to
200 people and with the lack of proper food and sanitation,
death was an
everyday occurrence, with up to
50% of the passengers
not surviving the journey. Despite these
horrendous conditions, the
promise of a
new life compelled
tens of thousands of people to take the risk. Once in
America,Ulstermen, who played a vital role in the history of the
United States, would build cabins similar to the ones they left behind in
Ireland.

Farm animals roam freely around the park and perhaps the only
negative for an untrained nose is the intense
smell of burning
peat, used for heating, that permeates the park. Most
Irish people like the smell because it’s familiar, but for the unfamiliar nose, it can be
overwhelming.
www.nmni.com

Glenveagh National Park:

Scottish-style Glenveagh Castle

Following a light lunch at the
Folk Park’s Visitors Centre, we were off to
Glenveagh National Park,
one of
sixnational parks in I
reland, for a tour of the romantic
Scottish-style castle and one of Ireland’s most
famous gardens. Located northwest of
CountyDonegal, the park is a sprawling
40,873 acres of
gorgeous scenery made up of
mountains,
lakes,
glens, and
woods. If you’re lucky, you might run into a herd of resident
red deer,
one of
two large herds in
Ireland. Adding to the
beauty, is a
stunning array of
flowers splashing over the hillsides, creating a
dazzling carpet of
vibrantcolors.

The park is on 40,873 acres of gorgeous scenery made up of mountains, lakes, glens, and woods

John George Adair built
Glenveagh around
1870 and lived in it until his death in 1885. Subsequently, the castle was
occupied by the
IRA in
1922 but
retreated when the
Free State Army appeared. Filled with well-preserved
original furnishings, the 30-minute
guided tour will give you an in-depth
peek into the
lifestyle of a more
elegant era.
www.glenveaghnationalpark.ie

Created over a hundred years ago, the gardens are filled with a vast number of exotic plants

:

The Mill Restaurant:

After a full day of sightseeing and absorbing the
awesome experiences, more
sensual sensations were to follow as we headed over for
dinner to the
Mill Restaurant, owned and operated by
Susan Alcorn and her
husband/
chefDerek. Located in
Figart Dunfanaghy , Letterkenny Co. Donegal, the former
flax mill was purchased by her
grandfather who was a famous
watercolor artist, and the property was his studio and home until he died in 1990. Since then, the mill has been
modernized and expanded to house a
restaurant,six ensuite
bedrooms, and living quarters for the
Alcorns.

Mill Restaurant's living room

Susan greeted us warmly upon our arrival and invited us to relax in the
tastefullyfurnishedliving room, set off by a
stone fireplace, where we were served cocktails and given a menu.

The beautiful split-level dining room

The
dining room is
split level encased by many windows allowing an
unobstructed view of the vista. Fresh
flowers sit on the tables and the room is enhanced with
soft lighting, with
antiques adorning the little
nooks and
crannies scattered about the room.

The amazing Horned Head Crab with Avocado

The restaurant has an extensive, mostly
organic seasonal
menu. I selected the
Horn Head Crab with
Avocado and
Sweet CornSorbet as the starter, followed by
Monaghan Chicken -
Lemon and
Garlic Free Range Chicken with
Sweet Pepper Risotto and a
Tarragon Emulsion, followed by a luscious
Puree of Pea,
Apple and
Curry Soup with
Natural Yogurt. My meal was topped off with a refreshing
Pink Grapefruit and
Gin Sorbet. What a
scrumptious end to a scintillating day and time to check into our next hotel.
www.themillrestaurant.com

Before leaving the restaurant, we got to enjoy a spectacular sunset over New Lake

Our evening was capped off by a stay at
Arnolds Hotel, family-owned since
1922 in
Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal. With the
Sheephaven Bay serving as its backdrop, we were welcomed by a friendly staff and were escorted to each of our rooms. If you like
horseback riding, their riding stables have the
seal of approval from the
Association ofIrish Riding Establishments, the
British Horse SocietyB.H.S., and the
Irish Tourist Board. Weather permitting, you can take a stroll along
Killahoey Beach to work up an appetite for dinner and then
celebrate the end of the day with a pint in the
Whiskey FlyBar where you can relax, unwind, and listen to
traditional music. http://www.arnoldshotel.com/

Part 2 begins with a
horseback ride or an escorted
hike and then on to more
exciting adventures….